All language subtitles for Secrets of ShangriLa Quest for Sacred Caves NG 720p HDTV EN Sub_Subtitles01.UND

Narrator: HIGH IN THE HIMALAYA,

IN THE MOST REMOTE KINGDOM
IN THE WORLD,

EXPLORERS FIND THOUSANDS
OF MYSTERIOUS CAVES.

THEIR DARK PORTALS BECKON
WITH THE PROMISE

OF A GLIMPSE INTO A LOST WORLD.

NOW A TEAM OF CLIMBERS
AND SCHOLARS

SET OUT TO REACH THEM
FOR THE FIRST TIME.

INSIDE, THEY FIND SMALL CITIES
CARVED IN STONE

AND THERE DISCOVER
UNIMAGINABLE TREASURES.

Man: THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY
EXTRAORDINARY COLLECTION.

IT'S A COMPLETE MESS.

Narrator: BUT THE DISCOVERIES
REVIVE AN AGE-OLD STRUGGLE

BETWEEN TWO FAITHS

AND STIR FEARS THAT LOOTERS

MAY HAVE REACHED
THE TREASURES FIRST.

Man: IT'S LITERALLY MONEY
LAYING AROUND,

WHICH IS THE AWFUL THING.

Narrator: THEY CAME TO STUDY
THESE CAVES,

BUT NOW THEY'RE
IN A RACE TO SAVE THEM

BEFORE MORE LOOTERS COME.

OR, WORSE YET, THE CAVES
CRUMBLE INTO OBLIVION.

Man: ROCK!

Narrator: THE STRUGGLE TO REACH
THESE CAVES IS DAUNTING,

ESPECIALLY FOR NON-CLIMBERS.

Man: I'VE NEVER WORN
A HARNESS BEFORE.

Narrator: THE CONTENTS
OF THE CAVES ARE ASTOUNDING.

Man: I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE
ARE SOME HUMAN REMAINS

UP IN THIS CAVE, OVER.

Man: IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S
OBVIOUSLY A BURIAL CHAMBER.

Narrator: THEY BELIEVE THE CAVES
HOLD ANCIENT EVIDENCE

THAT THIS WAS ONCE
A SACRED VALLEY,

AN EARTHLY PARADISE
SOME HAVE CALLED SHANGRI-LA.

Narrator: IN THE DESOLATE
MOUNTAIN BORDERLANDS

OF NEPAL AND TIBET,

THERE IS AN ANCIENT
HIMALAYAN KINGDOM

BEYOND THE REACH
OF THE MODERN WORLD,

HIDDEN IN A VALLEY SURROUNDED
BY THE WORLD'S HIGHEST PEAKS.

IT IS CALLED MUSTANG.

THE LOCALS CALL IT
THE KINGDOM OF LO,

AND THEIR MONARCH IS THE 25th
IN DIRECT DESCENT

FROM THE FIRST KING OF MUSTANG

WHO FOUNDED THE ROYAL LINEAGE
NEARLY 600 YEARS AGO.

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

A TRADE ROUTE HAS PASSED
THROUGH THE KINGDOM--

ONE OF THE FEW PATHWAYS
ACROSS THE ROOF OF THE WORLD,

AND A CRITICAL LINK
BETWEEN INDIA AND CHINA.

BUT MUSTANG IS A KINGDOM
WITH A MYSTERY.

HUNDREDS OF UNEXPLORED
CAVE COMPLEXES DOT THE CLIFFS

THAT GUARD THE GREAT
KALI GANDAKI RIVER.

THE ENIGMA OF THE CAVES

HAS PULLED HIMALAYAN CLIMBER
PETE ATHANS HERE REPEATEDLY.

FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES,

HE'S BEEN A STUDENT
OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM,

AND HE'S SUMMITTED MOUNT EVEREST
SEVEN TIMES.

Pete: THIS IS REALLY IN MANY
WAYS MY GREATEST EXPEDITION.

CLIMBING EVEREST
IS NOTHING LIKE THIS.

PEOPLE KNOW EVERY INCH
OF EVEREST.

TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO
INTO THESE CAVES,

THE FIRST PEOPLE TO GO IN
IN OVER 1,000 YEARS,

IS A REMARKABLE PRIVILEGE.

SO MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT TIBET
AND ALL THE HIMALAYAN STATES

COULD BE IN ANY ONE
OF THESE CAVES

AND HAS NOT BEEN DISCOVERED
AND IT'S LYING THERE WAITING

FOR SOMEONE TO FIND A WAY IN
AND DOCUMENT IT.

Narrator: THE CAVES
HAVE NEVER BEEN EXPLORED

BECAUSE UPPER MUSTANG IS
A RESTRICTED AREA OF NEPAL.

UNTIL RECENTLY, IT WAS CLOSED
TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

EVEN TODAY ONLY
1,000 FOREIGNERS PER YEAR

ARE ALLOWED INTO MUSTANG'S
FORBIDDEN ZONE.

TWO YEARS AGO,

WORKING IN CONCERT
WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL,

PETE AND PROJECT LEADER
BROT COBURN

AND AN ELITE TEAM OF EXPLORERS

FINALLY GAINED ACCESS

TO THE FIRST OF
UPPER MUSTANG'S CAVES.

THEIR DISCOVERIES MADE NEWS
AROUND THE WORLD:

PRICELESS CENTURIES-OLD
WALL PAINTINGS

ADORN SACRED CAVE SHRINES.

Pete: IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE. I
WONDER HOW LONG IT'S BEEN HERE?

Narrator: HIDDEN CAVE TEMPLES
ARE HEWN

INTO THE MOUNTAINSIDES;

IN ANOTHER CAVE, A MASTERPIECE,
NEARLY 25 FEET LONG.

AND THE MOST STUNNING
FIND OF ALL...

Renan: THERE ARE SOME INCREDIBLE
THINGS IN THIS NEXT ROOM, PETE.

OH, MY GOD!

A GIANT ROOM, FILLED WITH TEXTS,
PILES OF TEXTS!

Narrator: THEIR DISCOVERY
OF AN ANCIENT LIBRARY

FORCED THEM TO CONFRONT
A DILEMMA:

WITH NO PERMISSION TO REMOVE
ANYTHING FROM THE CAVES,

THE FOLIOS WOULD HAVE TO BE
LEFT, UNPROTECTED,

UNTIL THE TEAM COULD RETURN
WITH PERMISSION.

NOW, ONE YEAR LATER,

PETE AND BROT HAVE RETURNED
TO MUSTANG TO RESCUE THE TEXTS.

Pete: WE HAVE A TOTAL
OF ABOUT 48 HORSES,

12 PORTERS, 10 PEOPLE TO HELP US

WITH COOKING AND ORGANIZATION,
TENT SET UP,

AND SOME ARCHAEOLOGISTS,
SOME CLIMBERS, SOME FILMMAKERS

AND SOME FRIENDS
OF ALL OF THE ABOVE,

SO IT'S QUITE A LARGE GROUP.

Narrator: WITH A DREAM TEAM
OF CLIMBERS AND SCHOLARS,

THEY'LL PRESERVE
THE ANCIENT LIBRARY,

DOCUMENT THE PAINTINGS,
AND TRY TO EXPLORE MORE CAVES,

ALL WITH JUST A MONTH
ON THEIR PERMIT.

FROM THEIR STARTING POINT
DOWN VALLEY,

THEY'LL TREK SOME 60 MILES TO
THE ROYAL CITY OF LO MANTHANG.

THE RESEARCHERS
ARE PURSUING ANSWERS

TO AN EVEN BIGGER QUESTION.

FOR A HUNDRED YEARS,
EUROPEAN ADVENTURERS

HAVE SEARCHED
FOR AN EASTERN UTOPIA;

AN EARTHLY PARADISE
THEY'VE CALLED SHANGRI-LA.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY ANTHROPOLOGIST
CHARLES RAMBLE

HAS STUDIED THESE TIBETAN IDEAS
FOR 28 YEARS--

LIVING AMONGST
THE MUSTANG PEOPLE,

SPEAKING THEIR MANY DIALECTS,

EVEN MASTERING
THEIR ANCIENT CUSTOMS.

THE CONCEPT OF UTOPIA
ISN'T EXCLUSIVE TO THE EAST.

Charles: IT'S CERTAINLY PRESENT
IN MANY RELIGIONS.

IN THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE
TO LOOK FORWARD TO.

PARADISE LIES IN THE FUTURE.

IN THE CASE OF TIBET,
THERE ARE EARTHLY PARADISES.

AND FOR CERTAIN GROUPS
OF BUDDHISTS,

THERE IS THE SACRED LAND
OF SHAMBHALA,

WHICH COULD ACTUALLY BE

THE ETYMOLOGICAL ORIGIN
FOR SHANGRI-LA.

Narrator: THE IDEA OF SHANGRI-LA
WAS POPULARIZED IN THE WEST

BY AUTHOR JAMES HILTON,

WHOSE 1930s BOOK AND FILM
LOST HORIZON

INTRODUCED THE IDEA
INTO POPULAR CULTURE.

Charles: BUT THIS FASCINATION
WITH TIBET AS BEING A LAND

WHERE SOME KIND OF SPECIAL
SACRED LIFE WENT ON

AWAY FROM THE DAY-TO-DAY LIVING
WE'RE USED TO

IS SOMETHING THAT'S CONTINUED
RIGHT DOWN THE CENTURIES.

Narrator: TO THE PEOPLE LIVING
IN THESE VALLEYS TODAY,

THESE KINDS OF EARTHLY PARADISES
ARE REAL.

Narrator: TO THE PEOPLE LIVING
WHICH MEANS "HIDDEN LAND,"

WHERE ONE CAN FIND
ENLIGHTENMENT AND PEACE.

Charles:
THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION
OF THESE BEYULS

IS IN THE HIMALAYAN REGION.

SO THE IDEA OF A PLACE
WHERE ONE COULD GO AND HIDE

AND LIVE PEACEFULLY
AND LIVE A LONG TIME

IS CERTAINLY PRESENT
IN THE TIBETAN TRADITION.

Narrator: ON THEIR SECOND DAY
IN MUSTANG,

CHARLES HAS A CHANCE
TO SHOW PETE

HOW CAVES ARE LINKED
TO THE PURSUIT OF ENLIGHTENMENT.

THIS CAVE IS STILL IN USE TODAY.

IT'S THE VENUE FOR A RARE
AND SACRED PRACTICE:

A VOLUNTARY RETREAT
INTO DARKNESS TO MEDITATE.

Charles: THE PRACTITIONERS
WILL STAY IN HERE 49 DAYS

PRACTICALLY NAKED.

YOU START TO HALLUCINATE
AFTER A FEW DAYS

AND THE TRICK IS TO REALIZE THAT
THESE ARE JUST HALLUCINATIONS

BEFORE THE REAL VISIONS
AND EXPERIENCES COME ALONG.

BUT THE LAST CHAP TO DO
A RETREAT IN THIS CAVE,

AFTER ABOUT A WEEK, I THINK,
HE HAD TO BE TAKEN OUT

BECAUSE HE WAS
IN QUITE BAD SHAPE.

Pete: HALLUCINATIONS
OF SOMETHING FRIGHTENING,

SOMETHING DEMONIC.

Charles:
IT'S A KIND OF SELF-IMPOSED
SENSORY DEPRIVATION.

THE ULTIMATE GOAL, OF COURSE,
IS ENLIGHTENMENT,

AND THE WHOLE PURPOSE
OF THESE MEDITATIONS

IS FOR THE MIND TO UNITE ITSELF
WITH ITS OWN NATURE.

PEOPLE WILL COME FROM THE
VILLAGE EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS

AND PUT FOOD IN AN L-SHAPED HOLE
IN THE WALL,

SO YOU DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE
ANY DIRECT INTERACTION

WITH THE PEOPLE
WHO COME TO FEED YOU.

IN THIS TRADITION
IT'S DONE FOR 49 DAYS,

BUT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE
WHO WILL GO INTO RETREAT

FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIVES,

THEY WILL JUST STAY IN THERE
UNTIL THEY DIE.

Pete: OKAY, SO YOU SEE KRIS
WITH HIS ARMS RAISED, CORRECT?

Charles: THAT'S CORRECT.

HE LOOKS TO BE
IN THE BEST POSITION.

Narrator: TWO DAYS
FURTHER UP THE VALLEY IS A CAVE

WHERE THEY'LL TEST THEIR GEAR.

Pete: IF YOU SEE ANYONE,
LET THEM KNOW

THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME
PRETTY BIG ROCKS COMING DOWN.

Charles: I'LL TAKE OF IT.

Pete: THANKS, CHARLES.

Narrator: KRIS ERICKSON
IS AN ALPINE CLIMBER

AND PHOTOGRAPHER.

HE'LL PHOTO INVENTORY EACH CAVE.

RENAN OZTURK IS AN ARTIST.

HIS SKETCHES OF CAVE LAYOUTS

WILL BE A CRITICAL PART
OF THE ANALYSIS.

HE'S ALSO A WORLD-CLASS CLIMBER.

Renan:
AS CLIMBERS, WE SEARCH FOR
THE STEEPEST, CLEANEST LINES,

AND THIS IS PRETTY MUCH
THE OPPOSITE OF THAT,

JUST CRUMBLING MUD-DRIP
SANDCASTLE FORMATIONS.

YOU CAN BARELY BREATHE

AS THE DUST BLOWS UP THE WALL
AND SURROUNDS YOU,

JUST HORRIBLE CHOSS CLIMBING.

Pete: CHOSS IS A CLIMBER'S TERM

REFLECTING A DISDAIN
FOR THE QUALITY OF THE MATERIAL

THAT ONE HAPPENS TO BE CLIMBING.

Mark: THERE'S PLENTY OF CHAFF.

Narrator: UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
ARCHAEOLOGIST, MARK ALDENDERFER,

A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC GRANTEE,

AND NEPALI ARCHAEOLOGIST,
SUKRA SAGAR SHRESTHA,

HOPE TO DETERMINE
HOW OLD THE CAVES ARE.

Mark: IT'S GOING TO ALLOW US
TO ACTUALLY DATE THE APPLICATION

OF THAT MUD AND CHAFF.

THIS IS REALLY
A GOOD THING TO FIND.

Narrator: THEIR FIRST
CAVE DRY RUN A SUCCESS,

THEY'RE READY TO MOVE ON
TO LO MANTHANG

WHERE THEY SEEK PERMISSION
FROM THE KING

TO RESCUE THE ANCIENT LIBRARY.

Charles: WE DON'T GET TO MEET
KINGS EVERY DAY.

AND THIS RAJA'S LINEAGE
HAS BEEN ON THE THRONE RULING

SINCE THE 14th CENTURY,

AND THERE'S BEEN AN UNBROKEN
LINEAGE EVER SINCE,

SO THIS IS NOT
AN EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE.

I WAS ASKING HIS MAJESTY

ABOUT THE BEST WAY
OF PRESERVING THE MATERIALS

THAT ARE IN THE CAVES.

AND WHETHER IT'S BEST
IN HIS OPINION

THAT THEY SHOULD BE LEFT THERE
OR SHOULD THEY BE REMOVED.

WHAT HE'S SUGGESTED IS
THAT THIS IS SOMETHING

THAT SHOULD BE LEFT ENTIRELY

UP TO THE PEOPLE OF THE KINGDOM
TO DECIDE.

Narrator:
THEY ALSO NEED PERMISSION

FROM THE PEOPLE'S BUDDHIST
SPIRITUAL LEADER, THE KHEMPO.

[SPEAKING NEPALI]

Narrator: LAMAS ARE
SPIRITUAL TEACHERS,

AND THE KHEMPO THINKS THE TEAM
WILL NEED THEIR PROTECTION

BECAUSE THE PLACE THEY'RE
GOING TO IS DANGEROUS.

THE CAVE WHERE THEY FOUND
THE TEXTS IS CALLED MARJONG,

AND IT HAS LONG BEEN ASSOCIATED
WITH A RELIGION CALLED BON,

THE INDIGENOUS FAITH OF TIBET.

BON WAS THE DOMINANT RELIGION
OF THE REGION

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

UNTIL BUDDHISM WIPED OUT
NEARLY ALL EVIDENCE OF IT.

MARJONG WAS THE SITE

OF A LEGENDARY BATTLE
BETWEEN FAITHS,

AND THE LOCALS BELIEVE
THE SITE IS HAUNTED.

Charles:
THERE ARE SOME DIVINITIES
WHO ARE POTENTIALLY HARMFUL,

BUT AS LONG AS WE APPROACH THESE
PLACES WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE--

NOT TO STEAL THINGS,
NOT TO DAMAGE THE PLACE--

AND AS LONG AS THE APPROPRIATE
CEREMONIES ARE PERFORMED,

THERE WILL BE NO HARM

IN REMOVING THE MANUSCRIPTS
FROM THE CAVE.

[BELL RINGING]

Narrator: TO APPEASE
THE DIVINITIES,

THE LAMAS PERFORM A PUJA,
A CEREMONIAL OFFERING.

FOR THE TEAM, THIS SITE WILL BE
HOME FOR SEVERAL DAYS,

UNTIL ALL THE FOLIOS
CAN BE SAFELY REMOVED

FROM THE ERODING CAVE.

PETE'S HOPE IS THAT
THE MANUSCRIPTS

STILL REMAIN IN THE CAVE.

UNEXPECTED COMPANY ARRIVES
OVER THE HILL.

IT'S THE LO MANTHANG YOUTH CLUB,
A NEWLY FORMED POLITICAL GROUP.

THEY IMMEDIATELY CHALLENGE
THE AUTHORITY OF THE TEAM

TO ENTER THE CAVES

AND ACCUSE THEM OF ATTEMPTING
TO STEAL THE TEXTS.

Charles:
HE'S SAYING THAT WE DON'T NEED
TO DO A DETAILED INVENTORY,

PHOTOGRAPHIC INVENTORY
OF THE CONTENTS OF THE CAVE.

THEY CAN DO THAT THEMSELVES
AND PUT THEM UP ON THE NET.

THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES.

Narrator: THE YOUTH CLUB WANTS

TO KEEP THE MANUSCRIPTS
UNDER THEIR CONTROL.

THEY BELIEVE SELLING THE ANCIENT
SCRIPTS ON THE INTERNET

COULD BRING GOOD MONEY.

Brot: THEY CALL THEMSELVES
THE YOUTH CLUB,

BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE
A BUNCH OF TROUBLEMAKERS.

THEY'RE REALLY ONLY
A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE.

THEY HAVE A POLITICAL AGENDA,
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR MONEY,

THEY'RE LOOKING
FOR POWER AND CONTROL.

[SPEAKING NEPALI]

Narrator: THE YOUTH CLUB
QUESTIONS THE PRESENCE

OF THE BONPO LAMAS

WHOM CHARLES RAMBLE INVITED
TO HELP DECIPHER THE TEXTS

WHICH CHARLES BELIEVES ARE BON.

THEY ARE BON SCHOLARS,
BUT THE LOCALS ARE BUDDHIST

AND THEY DON'T WANT BONPO LAMAS
ON THEIR TURF.

Narrator:
THE LAMAS LEAVE TO SEEK HELP
FROM THE KHEMPO'S MONASTERY.

AND SO THE AGE-OLD PERSECUTION
OF A FAITH CONTINUES.

MUSTANG MAY BE MOSTLY BUDDHIST,
BUT ITS ROOTS ARE BON.

IT TOOK 1,100 YEARS FOR BUDDHISM
TO REACH THE HIMALAYAS.

THE STORY OF THE FAITH BEGINS
IN THE 6th CENTURY B.C.,

WHEN A PRINCE
NAMED SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA,

LATER KNOWN AS THE BUDDHA,
WAS BORN IN SOUTHERN NEPAL.

HE WAS RAISED IN LUXURY.

WHEN HE REACHED THE AGE OF 29,

HE STEPPED OUT OF HIS PALACE
FOR THE FIRST TIME.

WHAT HE SAW CHANGED
HIS LIFE FOREVER:

THE SICK, THE POOR
AND THE AGING.

HE RENOUNCED
HIS PRIVILEGED LIFE,

AND FOR SIX YEARS HE MEDITATED
AND CAME TO REALIZE

THAT ALL THINGS IN LIFE
ARE IMPERMANENT,

CAUGHT IN THE ENDLESS CYCLE
OF BIRTH, DEATH, AND REBIRTH.

AT THE AGE OF 35,

HE BECAME THE LORD BUDDHA,
THE ENLIGHTENED ONE.

THE BUDDHA WAS NOT THE FIRST TO
TEACH THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT.

SURPRISINGLY, HIS LIFE STORY
MIRRORS THAT OF ANOTHER TEACHER.

ACCORDING TO THOSE WHO FOLLOW
THE BON FAITH, THE BONPO,

THOUSANDS OF YEARS
BEFORE THE BUDDHA,

A PRINCE NAMED TONPA SHENRAB

BECAME DISILLUSIONED
BY THE WEALTH AROUND HIM

AND RENOUNCED
HIS PRIVILEGED LIFE.

HE LAUNCHED THE BON FAITH,

WHOSE INFLUENCE REACHED
FROM CENTRAL ASIA TO CHINA.

[SINGING]

THE BONPO OFTEN SAY
THE HISTORICAL BUDDHA

WAS SIMPLY A REINCARNATION OF
THE EVEN EARLIER TONPA SHENRAB.

BECAUSE BON GREW

OUT OF AN ANIMISTIC
AND SHAMANISTIC TRADITION,

THE FEW PEOPLE
WHO STILL PRACTICE IT

ARE OFTEN MISTRUSTED,

MISTAKEN AS PRACTITIONERS
OF A KIND OF BLACK MAGIC.

AS A RESULT,
TODAY THE BON RELIGION

IS PERCEIVED
A MALEVOLENT FORCE BY MANY.

Charles: THERE'S A GREAT DEAL
OF MISUNDERSTANDING,

PARTICULARLY AMONG BUDDHISTS,
ABOUT WHAT BON IS.

THEY STILL HAVE THIS IDEA

THAT BON WAS SOME KIND
OF BENIGHTED DARK RELIGION

THAT HAD TO BE EFFACED.

Narrator: IT WAS THE MYTHICAL
ACTIONS OF ONE GREAT FIGURE

THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE TRIUMPH
OF BUDDHISM OVER BON.

1,300 YEARS AGO, WHEN BON WAS
THE DOMINANT FAITH OF MUSTANG,

A GREAT TEACHER, GURU RINPOCHE,
TRAVELED THROUGH THE REGION

PREACHING THE SERMONS
OF BUDDHISM.

HIS FOLLOWING WAS UNPRECEDENTED,

AND HE LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK
ON THE HIMALAYAS.

IT WAS HERE IN MUSTANG

WHERE HE ESTABLISHED THE FIRST
TIBETAN BUDDHIST MONASTERY.

MUSTANG WAS THE SITE OF HIS
HISTORIC SLAYING OF A DEMONESS

WHO REPRESENTED THE BON FORCES
RESISTING BUDDHISM.

Charles: GURU RINPOCHE
CATCHES THE DEMONESS

AND DISEMBOWELS HER,
TEARS HER TO PIECES,

AND THIS IS WHY WHEN YOU SEE
BLUE STRIATIONS IN THE ROCKS,

THIS IS THE LIVER
OF THE DEMONESS

THAT WAS FLUNG INTO THE CLIFF.

YOU'LL SEE VERY RED
STREAKS OF ROCK.

THIS OF COURSE IS THE BLOOD
OF THE DEMONESS.

THERE ARE LITTLE FRAGMENTS OF
HER LIVER ALL OVER THE PLACE.

THE BUDDHISTS THEMSELVES
ASSOCIATE THE DEMONESS

WITH THE INDIGENOUS DARK FORCES,
WHICH THEY REGARD AS BEING BON.

Narrator:
IT WAS A METAPHORICAL SPILLING
OF THE BLOOD OF THE BONPO.

THE LEGACY OF THAT CONFLICT IS
STILL PALPABLE AT MARJONG TODAY.

LAMAS RETURN AFTER
HAVING MET WITH THE KHEMPO,

AND WHETHER THEY ARE BONPO
OR BUDDHIST,

THE DECISION IS UNANIMOUS--

THE RESEARCHERS MUST BE ALLOWED
INTO THE CAVES

TO REMOVE AND DOCUMENT
WHAT'S THERE.

NOW IT'S A MATTER OF CONVINCING
THE YOUTH CLUB TO BACK DOWN.

THE MONASTIC TRADITION
OF DEBATE ENSUES.

[SPEAKING TIBETAN DIALECT]

Narrator: THE YOUTH CLUB AGREES
TO ALLOW THE TEAM TO GO UP,

BUT JUST TO HAVE A LOOK.

Charles: I'VE NEVER WORN
A HARNESS BEFORE.

I'VE NEVER CLIMBED BEFORE.

RIGHT LEG? LEFT LEG?

Pete: YOU CAN GRAB THE RED
SLINGS, THE GREEN SLINGS.

ANY OF THOSE ARE FIXED.

Charles: THOSE ROCKS ARE
FAIRLY SECURE, ARE THEY?

Pete: THEY'RE PRETTY SECURE,
ACTUALLY.

Narrator: CHARLES HAS
A DEEP-ROOTED FEAR OF HEIGHTS.

HE HAS THE ATHLETIC ABILITY,

BUT IRRATIONAL FEAR CAN RENDER
A PERSON UNSTABLE ON HIS FEET.

Charles: I JUST LOVE
THESE NARROW LEDGES.

Narrator: FEAR ASIDE,
THIS IS NOT EASY CLIMBING.

Pete: JUST STEP BACK AND BEHIND.
THERE YOU GO.

SOME OF THAT ROCK RIGHT
ON THE SURFACE IS LOOSE.

Kris: BELAY IS ON, RENAN?

Renan: BELAY IS ON!

Kris: OKAY, CHARLES!

FACING INTO THE ROCK, NOW.

FACING IN!

THERE YOU GO, LEFT FOOT FIRST.

RENAN WILL START
GIVING YOU INFORMATION

ON WHAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE!

RIGHT HAND ON THE YELLOW ROCK
BY YOUR THIGH THERE.

GOOD! LOOKING GREAT.

GOOD JOB, CHARLES.

EXCELLENT.

Narrator:
THOUSANDS OF SACRED FOLIOS,

HAND-INKED CENTURIES AGO
BY MONKS.

Charles: THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY
EXTRAORDINARY COLLECTION.

WITH A BIT OF LUCK
WE'LL KNOW SOMETHING

OF THE DIVERSITY
OF THE LITERATURE

THAT'S BEEN STACKED UP IN HERE.

IDEALLY, WE'LL GET
THE LAST PAGE OF THIS LOT.

AND THAT'LL TELL US
WHO WROTE IT,

WHY IT WAS WRITTEN,
WHO PAID FOR IT.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIND IT.

Narrator: THE LAST PAGE--

THE KEY TO EVERYTHING
IN THE COLLECTION--

IS CALLED A COLOPHON, AND IT IS
THE NEEDLE IN THIS HAYSTACK.

Charles: IN THE MEANTIME

SOMEBODY'S GONE THROUGH
THE WHOLE LOT, RIFLING THEM,

PROBABLY FOR ILLUMINATED FOLIOS,

WHICH ARE WORTH SOMETHING
ON THE COMMERCIAL MARKET.

Narrator: THE ILLUMINATIONS,

THE ORIGINAL PAINTINGS FOUND
ON MANY OF THE TEXTS,

ARE SMALL MASTERPIECES LYING IN
CENTURIES-OLD PIGEON DROPPINGS.

Pete: YEAH, THIS IS
A NICE ONE, CHARLES,

RIGHT HERE THAT KRIS HAS.

Charles: OH, LOVELY!

THIS IS TONPA SHENRAB SHUK.

SO HERE SITS TONPA SHENRAB.

SO THIS IS THE MAIN
ENLIGHTENED ONE,

THE FOUNDER OF THE BON RELIGION.

Pete: IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

Charles: IT IS.
IT'S LOVELY.

AH HA! THIS IS THE END
OF THE SIXTH VOLUME.

[LAUGHS]

PAGES 55 AND 56.

THIS IS THE KIND OF THING
I'M REALLY AFTER

BECAUSE THIS IS EITHER
THE COLOPHON OF THE TEXT

OR IT'S SOME KIND OF DOCUMENT.

Narrator: THEY'VE FOUND
THE COLOPHON.

Charles: THIS IS THE KEY TO,

WITH A BIT OF LUCK
IT MIGHT GIVE THE DATE,

IT SHOULD GIVE THE PLACE,
AND IT SHOULD NAME THE PATRON,

AND I JUST PRAY
THAT THE NAME OF THE PATRON

IS NOT ON THE MISSING PART
OF THE TEXT.

Pete: TRY TO IMPRESS
UPON THE YOUTH GROUP

THAT THIS ROOM IN JUST A YEAR

HAS BECOME
IN MUCH WORSE CONDITION

AND THE DOCUMENTS HAVE SUFFERED
AND BEEN COMPROMISED

AS A RESULT OF IT.

SO EVERYONE UP HERE,

WHETHER THEY'RE FROM THE U.S.
OR FROM GREAT BRITAIN

OR FROM THE YOUTH GROUP

ARE HOPING THAT SOME AGREEMENT
CAN BE MADE TODAY

ABOUT RESCUING THESE DOCUMENTS.

Narrator: AFTER TWO HOURS
OF SCANNING THROUGH TEXTS,

CHARLES CONCLUDES THAT THIS
ISN'T A RANDOM COLLECTION.

THE FOLIOS TELL A BIGGER STORY

ABOUT THE EXPUNGING OF BON
FROM MUSTANG'S HISTORY.

Charles: IT'S QUITE LIKELY
THAT THIS IS A ROYAL COLLECTION

AND THE KING DECIDED
TO REMOVE ALL THE BONPO TEXTS

FROM HIS PALACE
AND PUT THEM IN HERE.

Narrator: REMOVING ALL EVIDENCE
OF THE OLD BON FAITH

WAS ONE WAY A KING OF THE PAST

WOULD HAVE HANDLED
HIS KINGDOM'S CONVERSION

TO THE NEW BUDDHIST RELIGION.

Pete: CHARLES IS SAYING
THERE'S REALLY NO POINT

IN US DOING ANYTHING MORE UNLESS
WE CAN EVACUATE THE DOCUMENTS.

Brot: OKAY, THAT SOUNDS GOOD.

Jeff: GOOD TIBETAN
ILLUMINATIONS,

I THINK THE MOST EXPENSIVE
HAS BEEN OVER $100,000

FOR JUST ONE SMALL
2-INCH BY 3-INCH SQUARE.

Narrator: HIMALAYAN
ART HISTORIAN, JEFF WATT,

KNOWS THE MARKET VALUE
OF THIS LOST TIBETAN ART.

Jeff: WE DON'T KNOW
HOW OLD THESE ARE,

BUT EVEN POOR QUALITY
ARE VALUABLE

AND WORTH THE EFFORT
OF POOR PEOPLE CRAWLING IN

AND TRYING TO GET THEM

BECAUSE IT'S JUST
MONEY LAYING AROUND.

IT'S LITERALLY MONEY
LAYING AROUND...

WHICH IS THE AWFUL THING.

Kris: A FEW MORE INCHES
WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND.

THERE IT IS. GOOD.

NICE.

Charles: NEVER AGAIN IN MY LIFE
AM I GOING TO DO THAT.

Kris: ALL RIGHT, YOU'RE SAFE.

Narrator: AS SOON AS
THEY REACH THE GROUND,

THE ENTIRE TEAM IS SEARCHED
BY THE YOUTH CLUB

FOR ANY TEXTS OR ANTIQUITIES

THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN REMOVED
FROM THE CAVE.

WITHOUT PERMISSION
TO REMOVE THE FOLIOS,

THE TEAM IS PARALYZED.

THE FATE OF
THE ANCIENT LIBRARY

IS IN THE HANDS
OF THE KHEMPO'S LAMAS.

Brot: THE PLAN IS THAT THEY ARE
GOING TO GO UP TO LO MANTHANG,

HAVE MEETINGS TONIGHT,

AND FORM A CONSENSUS OF ALL
OF THE CONCERNED STAKE HOLDERS,

AND THEY'LL WRITE
A WRITTEN REQUEST

THAT OUR TEAM COME
AND REMOVE THE MANUSCRIPTS.

Charles: IT ALSO MEANS THAT
I GET TO GO IN THERE AGAIN.

Narrator: DECIPHERING
DIGITAL IMAGES OF THE TEXTS

GETS CHARLES CLOSER TO A DATE.

THEY MAY BE OVER 500 YEARS OLD.

Charles: WHAT WE MAY HAVE
IN THESE CAVES

COULD WELL BE THE TEXTS
FROM THE DEAD CITY OF BONKOR.

THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT
BONPO SETTLEMENT

THAT WAS PRESENT
BEFORE THE ESTABLISHMENT

OF THE K 14th CENTURY.

SO WHEN THIS WAS WRITTEN,
WE DON'T KNOW,

BUT WE'RE GETTING WARMER.

I'M SURE THERE ARE MORE CLUES
IN THE CAVES.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN
GET THEM OUT TOMORROW.

Narrator: ARCHAEOLOGIST,
MARK ALDENDERFER,

TAKES AN INTERESTING HANDS-ON
METHOD TO DATE THE CAVES.

Mark: AND SOMEBODY'S GOING
TO TRANSLATE RIGHT?

Man: OKAY.

Mark: OKAY, YOU KNOW
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO,

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A CAVE
LIKE UP THERE

TO FIT INSIDE A SPACE
LIKE THIS, HERE.

SO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS MAKE
A SHAPE THAT GOES IN.

[SPEAKING NEPALI]

Mark: YOU GET A SENSE
OF HOW HARD THIS IS.

I MEAN, THIS IS
NOT TRIVIAL EXERCISE HERE

TO BEGIN THIS PROCESS.

SO YOU REALLY NEED
GOOD QUALITY TOOLS,

EITHER BRONZE OR IRON.

EARLY ON THEY WOULD HAVE
PROBABLY BEEN USING

BRONZE TOOLS, MAYBE HORN TOOLS

OR MAYBE EVEN STONE TOOLS,
STONE AXES.

Narrator: IT TAKES
EIGHT MEN AND ONE CHILD

ABOUT TWO HOURS TO EXCAVATE
A MINI CAVE.

THEY USE WHATEVER METAL TOOLS
ARE AVAILABLE.

Mark: IT'S A TEDIOUS PROCESS,

SO YOU CAN IMAGINE
BUILDING A CAVE COMPLEX

OF 60, 80, 100 ROOMS--

A LOT OF WORK.

Narrator: WHILE AWAITING
THE KHEMPO'S DECISION

ON THE MANUSCRIPTS,

THE TEAM SETS THEIR SIGHTS NEXT

ON A CAVE PETE AND RENAN
EXPLORED 16 MONTHS EARLIER.

THEY FORGED A ROUTE THROUGH SNOW

TO A CAVE NEAR
THE VILLAGE OF SAMAR.

NOW IT'S AUGUST

AND THE IRRIGATED FIELDS
OF MUSTANG ARE LUSH.

Man: NAMASTE.
Girl: NAMASTE.

Narrator:
THEY'RE REVISITING THE CAVE

BECAUSE THE FLOOR PLAN
IS SO UNIQUE

THEY WANT MARK TO HAVE A LOOK.

THE ONLY ROUTE IS STRAIGHT UP

AND REQUIRES TECHNICAL
ROCK CLIMBING SKILLS.

RENAN MANAGES TO GET INSIDE

AND RIGS A ROPE
FOR THE OTHERS TO CLIMB UP.

PETE SETS UP A SYSTEM
FOR MARK TO CLIMB IN.

Pete: GO AHEAD AND
PUSH UP THE BLUE ONE.

Mark: WORKING ON IT.

Pete: YEAH, TRY AND STAND UP
IN THE ET.

YEAH, THERE YOU GO.

YOU CAN SIT BACK A LITTLE BIT.

Mark: THIS IS GOING TO BE
A STRUGGLE, I THINK.

Pete: YEAH, OKAY, LET'S RIG IT
A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.

Narrator:
RENAN IS LEFT TO IMAGINE
WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE

FOR THOSE WHO ONCE LIVED HERE.

THE ROOMS OFFER PROTECTION
FROM THE ELEMENTS,

AND WOOD PROTRUDING
FROM THE EXTERIOR

SUGGESTS A BALCONY
FOR EXPOSURE TO THE WARM SUN.

KRIS PHOTOGRAPHS EACH ROOM,

WHILE RENAN DRAWS THE LAYOUT
OF THE ENTIRE COMPLEX.

PETE HAS RIGGED A HAULING SYSTEM
TO PULL MARK UP THE CLIFF.

MARK USES LEG LOOPS,
MUCH LIKE A STAIRWAY,

WHILE PETE ACTS
AS A COUNTERWEIGHT.

IT ALL WORKS LIKE A PULLEY,
LIFTING MARK UPWARDS,

UNTIL HE REACHES
THE CAVE OPENING AND GETS STUCK.

Mark: OKAY!

Narrator: HE'S TRAPPED
THE ROPE SYSTEMS UNDERNEATH HIM,

SO THERE'S NO SLACK
TO LET HIM INSIDE.

THERE'S ONLY ONE SOLUTION
IN THIS SITUATION,

A CLIMBER'S LAST RESORT.

Pete: OKAY, YOU GUYS GOT HIM?

Narrator: PETE CUTS HIM FREE.

Pete: NOTHING LIKE
A BELAY KNIFE.

Mark: OKAY, IT'S WORTH IT.

Narrator: LIKE MOST
OF MUSTANG'S CAVE COMPLEXES,

THE APPROACH IS A STRUGGLE.

BUT ONCE INSIDE,
THE ROOMS ARE LEVEL

AND PLANS ARE MUCH LIKE A HOUSE.

MANY FLOORS HAVE LONG CORRIDORS,

EITHER PERPENDICULAR OR PARALLEL
TO THE CLIFF.

VERTICAL SHAFTS CONNECT
ONE LEVEL TO THE NEXT.

CAVE COLONIES CAN RANGE
FROM 2 LEVELS TO 10...

SOME LEVELS CONTAINING
AS MANY AS 15 ROOMS.

SOOT ON WALLS
INDICATES CAVE KITCHENS,

AND STORAGE ROOMS
HOLD LARGE GRANARIES.

MOST OF THE COMPLEXES
HAVE A SINGLE MONASTIC ROOM

AT THE UPPERMOST LEVEL--

A LATER ADDITION
BY RELIGIOUS PRACTITIONERS.

THESE HIGH TEMPLE ROOMS
SIT ATOP CAVE COMPLEXES

THAT CAN HAVE 60-80 ROOMS--

A HIGH-RISE HEWN
INTO A HIMALAYAN CLIFF.

Mark: YOU CAN SEE THE TOOL MARKS

THAT ARE CUT INTO THE WALLS
RIGHT HERE.

IN OUR LITTLE EXPERIMENT
THAT WE CONDUCTED AT MARJONG,

IT TOOK US TWO HOURS

TO CARVE OUT 1.75
CUBIC METERS OF EARTH.

THAT WAS IN
RELATIVELY SOFT ROCK.

THIS IS HARD STONE.

JUST THINK ABOUT THE AMOUNT
OF TIME THAT IT WOULD TAKE

TO CARVE SOMETHING IN THIS ROCK.

IT'S REALLY PRETTY TOUGH STUFF.

ONE OF THE PERPLEXING QUESTIONS
ABOUT THESE CAVES

IS WHEN AND WHO DID THE WORK?

YOU CAN'T DATE THE ROCK.

ALL YOU CAN DO IS DATE
THINGS LIKE THE SOOT.

ON THE BRICK WALL HERE

YOU CAN SEE HOW THICK
THE SOOT IS RIGHT HERE,

SO WE'LL TAKE A SAMPLE OF THAT.

AND THEN WE'LL PROBABLY TRY
TO WORK A SAMPLE--

OH, THERE'S A PERFECT ONE
RIGHT THERE--

THAT'S PART OF
THE CAVE ROOF ITSELF.

AND IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY
AT THE EDGE:

THERE'S CAVE WALL,
AND THEN THERE'S THE SOOT LAYER

THAT'S ACCUMULATED
OVER THE YEARS,

AND SO OUR GOAL WILL BE
TO SAMPLE AS CLOSE AS WE CAN

TO THAT INTERFACE RIGHT THERE.

Narrator: KRIS SIFTS
FOR MORE CLUES

THROUGH DRIFTS
OF DRIED BIRD DROPPINGS.

Kris: THIS LOOKS LIKE
AN ANCIENT PRAYER PACKET HERE.

PRAYERS ARE WRITTEN
ON THE INSIDE

AND THEN WORN AROUND THE NECK.

IT'S IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE.

FANTASTIC, HUH?

THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS
WRAPPED IN A PIECE OF CLOTH

AND THE PRAYERS ARE STILL FOLDED

AND FAIRLY WELL INTACT
ON THE INSIDE.

WOW, WHOLE BUNDLES
OF PRAYER PACKAGES HERE!

SEVERAL OF THEM.

THESE COULD BE VERY OLD.

Pete: GOT IT?

Mark: YUP.

Pete: OKAY.

Mark: I HAVE IT.

Pete: ALL RIGHT, THERE IT GOES.

Mark: LOOK AT THAT,
THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

Narrator: IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY,

AND THEY STILL HAVE
A THREE-HOUR TREK BACK

TO RENDEZVOUS
WITH THE REST OF THE TEAM.

CHARLES AND MOHAN SINGH LAMA,

FROM NEPAL'S DEPARTMENT
OF ARCHAEOLOGY,

DECIPHER THE ARCHAIC
TIBETAN SCRIPT.

Charles: BUT IT LOOKS LIKE
IT MENTIONS TWO PEOPLE

AND HAS SOMETHING TO DO
WITH TAXES

AND IT'S SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT.

Narrator:
THESE ARE RARE DOCUMENTS
AN ANTHROPOLOGIST HOPES FOR:

THE PERSONAL PAPERS OF A PEOPLE
WHO LIVED HERE CENTURIES AGO.

Charles: AND THEN WE HAVE
THESE BITS AND PIECES.

THESE ARE AMULETS.

SOMEONE WOULD APPROACH A PRIEST

AND SAY THAT HE OR SHE
REQUIRES PROTECTION

AGAINST MALADIES, WITCHES,
GOSSIP, OR SOME SUCH THING.

AND THE PRIEST
WILL MAKE A BLOCK PRINT,

FOLD IT UP INTO A LEATHER POUCH
OR A CLOTH POUCH

AND THE PETITIONER WILL HANG
THIS AROUND HIS OR HER NECK

AS A FORM OF PROTECTION.

ONCE THEY ARE REMOVED
OR RENEWED,

THEY WOULD NEVER BE THROWN AWAY,

THEY WOULD JUST BE HUNG
IN THE HOUSE.

SO THIS COULD BE A COLLECTION
OF THESE AMULETS

FROM A SINGLE HOUSE.

NOW WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING
ABOUT THESE--

IT'S NOT A BLOCK PRINT,
IT'S MANUSCRIPT,

AND IT'S ALL COMPLETELY
WRITTEN BY HAND,

AND PAINTED BY HAND.

THESE SORTS OF THINGS

ALMOST ALWAYS ARE BLOCK PRINTED
AFTER THE 17th CENTURY, I THINK,

SO THIS IS ANOTHER
ITEM OF EVIDENCE

TO SUGGEST THAT THIS
IS PRE-17th CENTURY.

NOW WHY WOULD A COLLECTION
LIKE THIS BE FOUND IN A CAVE?

TIBETANS CONSIDER THAT
ANYTHING WRITTEN IS SACRED.

IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD

THERE IS ACTUALLY NO WORD
FOR RELIGION.

THE USUAL TIBETAN WORD
FOR RELIGION IS CHEU,

WHICH MEANS A BOOK.

SO A BOOK IS INTRINSICALLY
SOMETHING SACRED.

SO A PIECE OF PAPER WITH
SOME KIND OF WRITING ON IT,

WHETHER IT'S RELIGIOUS WRITING
OR NOT, IS INTRINSICALLY SACRED.

SO IF SOMEBODY MIGHT WANT

TO SIMPLY GET RID
OF ALL THESE THINGS,

RATHER THAN THROWING
THE WHOLE LOT AWAY,

THEY WOULD DEPOSIT THEM
REVERENTIALLY IN A CAVE.

SO THIS IS A KIND
OF BURIAL OF THE TEXT.

Narrator: FOR THE WHOLE TEAM,
IT'S A TOUCHING DETECTIVE STORY,

BREAKING THE SEAL OFF
THE HIMALAYAN HISTORY BOOKS

TO LOG A MISSING CHAPTER
FROM THE PAST.

BACK AT MARJONG, THE KHEMPO,

THE KING OF MUSTANG,
AND THE LEADERS OF LO MANTHANG

HAVE DELIVERED A WRITTEN REQUEST

FOR THE TEAM TO REMOVE
THE BON FOLIOS FROM THE CAVE.

NOTABLY, THERE'S NO SIGNATURE
FROM THE YOUTH CLUB.

PETE DOESN'T WANT TO WAIT AROUND
TO SEE IF THEY SHOW UP.

A CLIMBER'S HAUL BAG
WILL BE THE CONDUIT

FOR A HISTORIC LIBRARY OF TEXTS.

AND ONE OF RENAN'S
BLANK CANVASES ACTS AS TARP.

THEY START IN THE OUTER ROOM,

WHICH IS MERELY ONE-FIFTH
OF THE ENTIRE COLLECTION.

THE AIM IS TO PRIORITIZE
PAGES WITH ILLUMINATIONS,

IN CASE THEIR EFFORTS
ARE ONCE MORE SHUT DOWN.

THIS IS THE FIRST OF WHAT
WILL EVENTUALLY BE 30 LOADS.

THE BONPO LAMAS HAVE LONG WAITED
FOR THIS MOMENT.

THE TEXTS ARE A DEEP CONNECTION
TO THEIR LOST HISTORY.

MANY ARE FROM THE LUBUM,

AN ORIGINAL SERMON OF THE
FOUNDER OF THE BON RELIGION,

TONPA SHENRAB.

FOR THE BONPO LAMAS, IT'S LIKE
FINDING AN EARLY VERSION

OF A BOOK OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

Charles: WE WON'T NEED TO WALK
FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP,

WE CAN FLY, WE'VE GOT
ENOUGH FEATHERS ON US.

Narrator: AFTER HOURS OF WORK,

THE CLIMBERS HAVE ONLY REMOVED
HALF THE TEXTS.

HUNDREDS OF YEARS' WORTH
OF BIRD GUANO AND DUST

COAT THE PAGES.

BUT THE FOLIOS
ARE MADE OF DAPHNE,

A PLANT THAT PRODUCES PAPER
AS STRONG AS LINEN.

THIS ALLOWS THE LAMAS
A MORE RIGOROUS APPROACH

TO CLEANING THE TEXTS.

THEY'RE UNDOING A NATURAL
TAR AND FEATHERING

OF AN UNWANTED LIBRARY

THAT WAS ONCE SECRETED AWAY
INTO THESE CAVES

WHEN CONVERTING TO A NEW FAITH
MEANT ERADICATING THE OLD.

Charles: A DISCIPLE
OF TONPA SHENRAB.

WE'RE ALL CERTAINLY GOING
TO GET BIRD FLU AFTER THIS,

THAT'S FOR SURE.

Narrator: CHARLES AND
THE BONPO LAMAS

HAVE ISOLATED
38 BOOKS IN ALL.

MANY ARE INCOMPLETE.

IMPORTANT PAGES WITH
ILLUMINATIONS ARE MISSING.

Charles: IN THIS CASE
SOMEBODY HAS COME

AND CUT OUT THE ILLUMINATIONS
AND LEFT THE REST OF THE TEXT.

IF THEY HAD KNOWN
WHAT THEY WERE DOING,

THEY'D HAVE REALIZED THAT
THE TEXT WITH THE ILLUMINATIONS

WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE VALUABLE.

Narrator: IN ALL, 10,000 PAGES
ARE RESCUED AND COLLATED,

EACH SIDE PAINSTAKINGLY
PHOTOGRAPHED

FOR WHAT WILL BE ONE OF
THE LARGEST DIGITAL LIBRARIES

OF BON TEXTS.

Charles: THIS IS VERY
VALUABLE MATERIAL.

IT'S A PRECIOUS FIND.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS
TO BUNDLE THEM UP NEATLY,

LABEL THEM, AND FROM HERE ON

THEY WILL BE TAKEN AWAY
FOR SAFEKEEPING.

Narrator: ALL PARTIES
HAVE AGREED--

THE TEXTS WILL BE
CARRIED UP TO AND STORED

AT THE KHEMPO'S MONASTERY
IN LO MANTHANG.

CHARLES HAS DATED THE LIBRARY
TO THE MID-15th CENTURY,

A TIME BY WHICH BUDDHISM
HAD TRIUMPHED

OVER THE BON FAITH HERE.

BUT THE CAVES THEMSELVES
HAVE AN EVEN OLDER HISTORY,

PERHAPS LINKED TO THE EARLIEST
PEOPLE WHO CARVED THEM.

OUR FIRST HINT ABOUT WHO
THEY WERE CAME IN THE 1990s,

WHEN A TEAM OF GERMAN
AND NEPALI SCIENTISTS

CLIMBED INTO CAVES
IN LOWER MUSTANG

AND FOUND
NATURALLY MUMMIFIED BODIES.

THEY WERE DATED
TO AROUND 400 B.C.

IT SEEMS AN UNKNOWN CIVILIZATION
CARVED CAVES IN LOWER MUSTANG

STRICTLY FOR MORTUARY PURPOSES--
TO BURY AND REVERE THE DEAD.

Mark: SURPRISINGLY, WE KNOW
VERY LITTLE ABOUT THEM.

WE KNOW ABOUT THEIR AGRICULTURE,

THEY WERE GROWING
BARLEY AND BUCKWHEAT.

WE KNOW THAT THEY WERE
TRADING CERAMICS

WITH PEOPLE LIVING DOWN VALLEY.

YET IT'S STILL VERY MUCH OPEN

AS TO WHO THESE PEOPLE WERE
AND WHAT THEY WERE DOING HERE.

Narrator: CAVE BURIAL SUGGESTS

THAT THE MUMMIES
PRE-DATE BUDDHISM.

ONE COMMON BUDDHIST WAY
OF DISPOSING OF CORPSES,

BY CONTRAST, LEAVES NO TRACE.

Charles: THIS IS THE ROCK
ON WHICH DEAD BODIES

ARE DISMEMBERED
AND FED TO THE VULTURES.

YOU CAN SEE ALL THE CUTTING
IMPLEMENTS OVER HERE.

THIS IS WHAT'S GENERALLY KNOWN
AS SKY BURIAL.

THERE WERE A FEW VULTURES
CIRCLING OVERHEAD

AND WATCHING US WITH
SOME INTEREST AND SOME HOPE.

SO THE BODY WOULD BE
BROUGHT UP HERE

AND JUST NEXT TO THE BIG ROCK
WHERE THE CUTTING TAKES PLACE

YOU CAN SEE ANOTHER ROCK
WITH A ROPE ATTACHED TO IT

AND A NOOSE ON THE END,

AND THIS IS FOR
SECURING THE BODY.

THE ROPE IS TIED
AROUND THE NECK

BECAUSE THE VULTURES
ARE VERY STRONG,

THEY'RE AS STRONG AS A MAN.

AND THEY'RE LIKELY TO DRAG OFF
LARGE LUMPS OF DEAD BODY,

IF NOT THE WHOLE BODY,

AND THEN YOU HAVE
THE UNPLEASANT SPECTACLE

OF BITS OF DEAD BODY
LYING AROUND THE PLACE.

THE PRINCIPLE IS THAT YOU
DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING BEHIND.

EVERYTHING HAS TO BE
CHOPPED UP VERY FINELY.

THE BONES ARE GROUND VERY SMALL,

THE BRAINS ARE MIXED
INTO A KIND OF CAKE,

AND THAT'S WHAT
THE VULTURES GET LAST.

THEY INSIST ON EVERYTHING
DISAPPEARING

EXCEPT THE HAIR
AND WHATEVER JEWELRY

THE INDIVIDUAL HAPPENED
TO BE WEARING.

SO YOU CAN SEE
A FEW BRACELETS OVER HERE,

WHICH ARE THE RATHER TOUCHING
REMAINS FROM THE LAST FUNERAL.

THINGS THAT ARE USED
FOR BODY CUTTING

ARE USUALLY LEFT
IN THE CEMETERY.

THEY ARE CONSIDERED POLLUTING,

THEY ARE CONSIDERED TO BE
ASSOCIATED WITH DEATH,

AND IF YOU TAKE THEM HOME,

YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW WHAT'S
GOING TO BE FOLLOWING YOU HOME.

Narrator: FOLLOWING A TIP
FROM A LOCAL,

THE CLIMBERS TARGET A CAVE
THAT MAY HOLD HUMAN REMAINS.

IT'S SITUATED AT 14,000 FEET,
COMPLETELY UNEXPLORED,

AND POSES THE KIND
OF TECHNICAL CHALLENGE

THE CLIMBERS LOOK FORWARD TO.

Pete: I THINK THAT MOST CLIMBERS

COME TO THESE POWERFUL PLACES
IN THE HIMALAYA

BECAUSE WE FIND A SOLACE

IN THE KIND OF HOSTILE LANDSCAPE
THAT WE CLIMB IN.

WE FIND A REJUVENATING POWER.

BUT WE ALSO FIND OURSELVES
IN THESE LANDSCAPES

WHERE THE WEATHER,
THE ROCK CONDITION,

OUR PARTICULAR OBJECTIVES IN IT
PUT US AT HAZARD.

AND THERE'S
AN EMOTIONAL SACRIFICE,

AN EMOTIONAL LIABILITY
IN BEING IN PLACES LIKE THIS.

Kris: OKAY, RENAN, I'M CLIMBING.

Renan: GO AHEAD.

Kris: OH, IT'S SO GOOD!

Pete: I'M CONVINCED THAT
SOME OF THE EARLIEST CLIMBERS

WERE CAVE PEOPLE.

NOT ONLY WERE THEY
EXCELLENT CLIMBERS,

THEY WERE EXCELLENT
CLIMBING WALL BUILDERS

BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE

TO CARVE OUT THESE HANDHOLDS
AND FOOTHOLDS.

THEY OBVIOUSLY HAD
VERY LITTLE FEAR OF HEIGHTS.

Narrator: HISTORICALLY,
THE PEOPLE OF MUSTANG

WOULD HAVE SUFFERED
FREQUENT INVASIONS.

WARRING EMPIRES TRIED TO CONTROL
THEIR STRATEGIC TRADE ROUTE.

FOR VILLAGERS, CAVES LIKE THESE
COULD HAVE BEEN A REFUGE.

Pete: THEY COULD CLAMBER
UP INTO THESE PLACES

AND THROW THESE GREAT SHEETS
OF STONE OVER THESE SHAFTS.

THEY WERE PERFECT FORTS

FROM WHICH TO DEFEND THEMSELVES
FROM ANY INVADING MARAUDERS.

Narrator: THE CLIMBERS THEN
COME UPON AN ASTOUNDING FIND.

Pete: WE HAVE DEFINITE
HUMAN REMAINS.

WE HAVE AN INTACT SKULL,
BUT WITHOUT A JAWBONE.

WE HAVE A COMPLETELY INTACT
VERTEBRAE AND PELVIS.

Mark: OKAY, PETE, THIS IS
WHAT I'D LIKE YOU TO DO.

I'D LIKE YOU TO PULL
SOME TEETH FROM THE SKULL,

AND THE TEETH I WOULD LIKE
IN PARTICULAR

WOULD BE ANY OF THE MOLAR TEETH
DOWN TO THE PRE-MOLARS.

Pete: THAT'S EASY.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE MOLAR.

Mark: IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE
A SKY BURIAL CONTEXT.

WOULD THAT AGREE WITH YOU
AS WELL, PETE? OVER.

Pete: YEAH, WE ALL
AGREE WITH THAT.

WERE THIS A SKY BURIAL,

CH MORE VIVISECTED,

MUCH BETTER CHOPPED UP.

Renan: HERE COMES THE ROPE!

Narrator:
MIRACULOUSLY, THE CLIMBERS MAKE
ANOTHER INTRIGUING DISCOVERY.

Kris: PETE, PETE,
THIS IS KRIS CALLING.

DO YOU COPY?

Pete: GO AHEAD, KRIS, TELL ME
WHAT YOU SEE IN THERE.

Kris: I JUST FOLLOWED RENAN
INTO THE CENTRAL ROOM.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S
OBVIOUSLY A BURIAL CHAMBER.

WE'VE GOT THREE SKELETONS
IN HERE,

TWO OF WHICH HAVE INCLUSIVE
MANDIBLE ON THE SKELETON.

THE ROOM ITSELF IS
HIGHLY GEOMETRIC.

LOOKS LIKE AN ALTAR
IN THE CORNER,

VERY BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE.

NO REAL ILLUSTRATIONS
ON THE WALLS.

Kris: I NEVER THOUGHT
IN MY WILDEST DREAMS

I WOULD EVER BE RAPPELLING
INTO ANCIENT CAVES

AND DISCOVERING
MUMMIFIED BODIES.

THIS IS A CAREER DREAM.

Kris: ROCK!

Pete: HOW'S IT GOING, MARK?

Mark: IT'S GOING WELL.
LOOKS LIKE YOU HAD A GREAT DAY.

Pete: IT WAS A BIG DAY.

Mark: WELL!

Pete: BUT THIS WAS....

Mark: OUR HUMAN SKULL.
Pete: OUR HUMAN SKULL.

Mark: VERY NICE.

Pete: THE MANDIBLE WASN'T
TO BE SEEN, BUT THAT WAS...

Mark: MAKES ME THINK
THAT IT'S BEEN HEAVILY DISTURBED

BY PEOPLE COMING UP IN THERE
AT SOME POINT IN THE PAST

AND MOVING THINGS AROUND.

CLEARLY AN ADULT.

ALL THE SUTURES
ARE VERY WELL FUSED.

HOPEFULLY, IF WE CAN
GET SOME DNA

OUT OF THE TOOTH
THAT CAME DOWN.

IT'S GOT A BIG HOLE IN IT.

WOOF, THAT'S ONE
NASTY CAVITY!

THIS WILL PROVIDE US
WITH SOME GOOD INFORMATION

ABOUT WHAT ONE OCCUPATION
OF THAT CAVE SYSTEM

WAS LIKELY TO BE.

[LAMA CHANTING]

Narrator: A LAMA IS CALLED IN
TO GIVE A PUJA,

A CEREMONY WHERE
THE SPIRIT OF THE DECEASED

IS GIVEN OFFERINGS

AND THE NEARBY DIVINITIES
ARE APPEASED.

THE LOCALS ARE INTRIGUED
BY THE FIND.

THEY'RE INSPIRED TO LEARN MORE.

IN THE MORNING, THE DETAILED
DOCUMENTING BEGINS.

ALL DATA WILL BE INCLUDED

IN A COMPREHENSIVE INVENTORY
OF EVERYTHING THEY'VE FOUND.

THE LOCAL PEOPLE WILL KEEP
THE SKULL AND ARTIFACTS.

THEY WANT TO BUILD A MUSEUM,

SO PEOPLE CAN LEARN MORE
ABOUT THEIR DISTANT PAST.

Mark: LET'S DO THE OTHER SIDE.

NOW WE HAVE A BROADER SAMPLE.

WE'RE LOOKING AT PRE-700 A.D.
FOR STARTERS,

AND THEN HOW MUCH EARLIER
THAN THAT

BECOMES A REALLY INTERESTING
RESEARCH QUESTION.

THIS IS PRECISELY
THE KIND OF CAVES

WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR
IN SOME WAYS.

NOW WE'VE GOT CAVES
WITH HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS

THAT COMPARE VERY FAVORABLY

TO THE CAVES WE SEE
DOWN IN SOUTHERN MUSTANG

THAT THE NEPALI-GERMAN TEAM
LOCATED BACK IN THE 1990s.

Narrator: WE KNOW
FROM THE NEPALI-GERMAN WORK

THAT THERE WAS ONE GROUP
WHO LIVED HERE 3,000 YEARS AGO,

BUT ANALYSIS OF DNA
FROM THE TEAM'S SKELETAL REMAINS

NOW CONFIRMS THAT THERE WAS
A MORE RECENT CULTURE,

600 YEARS AGO, THAT USED
THE CAVES FOR THEIR DEAD.

REMARKABLY,
DNA EVIDENCE INDICATES

THAT THE TWO GROUPS
APPEAR UNRELATED.

THIS SUGGESTS MUSTANG
HAS BEEN HOME

TO A MOSAIC
OF DISTINCT CULTURES.

[BLOWING HORN]

WHY WOULD ANYONE COME HERE?

EVEN THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO,
IT WAS AN UNFORGIVING PLACE.

THE KALI GANDAKI RIVER
THAT FLOWS PAST THE CAVES

PROVIDES OUR ANSWER:

FOR MILLENNIA,
CARAVANS AND CULTURES

HAVE FOLLOWED
THE RIVER CORRIDOR.

CARBON DATING FROM SAMPLES
OF GRAINS FROM THE CAVES

INDICATE THAT PEOPLE HAVE
LIVED HERE FOR 3,000 YEARS.

SOME CARVED THE CAVES
TO HOLD THEIR DEAD...

OTHERS USED THEM FOR DEFENSE...

AT LEAST ONE MORE CONVERTED THEM
INTO SACRED SHRINES.

ONE FINAL CAVE SUGGESTS
AN EVEN MORE COMPELLING,

SPIRITUAL REASON
FOR COMING HERE.

THE GREAT TEACHER WHO BROUGHT
BUDDHISM HERE, GURU RINPOCHE,

ALSO DID SOMETHING ELSE.

HE LOCATED AND THEN CONCEALED
108 REFUGES HE NAMED BEYULS.

ONE CAVE HAS THE QUALITIES
OF SUCH A SANCTUARY.

THEY FOUND IT LAST YEAR
AFTER A SHEPHERD TOLD THEM

ABOUT SHELTERING FROM A STORM
THERE WHEN HE WAS A BOY.

THE CAVE IS A LAST REMNANT
OF AN ABANDONED TEMPLE COMPLEX,

PRECARIOUSLY SITUATED AT THE TOP
OF A RIDGE, AT 14,000 FEET.

WORD IS OUT ABOUT ITS ALLURE.

IN A SINGLE YEAR,
OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE

HAVE UNDERTAKEN
THE ARDUOUS JOURNEY.

INSIDE ARE MASTERPIECES,

FRAGILE PAINTINGS
IN A DISTINCT INDIAN STYLE,

EVOCATIVE OF THE EARLIEST DAYS
OF BUDDHISM.

Charles:
THE KHEMPO WAS EXPLAINING
THAT THESE BELONG TO A SET

THAT ARE KNOWN
AS THE 84 MAHASIDDHAS,

THE GREAT SAINTS
AND WONDERWORKERS

OF THE TANTRIC BUDDHIST
TRADITION.

EACH OF THESE IMAGES

HAS A FOUR-LINE INSCRIPTION
UNDERNEATH IT.

AND THE STRUCTURE IS EXACTLY
THE SAME IN EACH CASE.

SO LET'S TAKE AN EXAMPLE
OF THIS INDIVIDUAL--

HE BELONGED TO A FISHING CASTE

AND HE WAS HIGHLY ACCOMPLISHED
AT YOGIC TECHNIQUES.

HE WENT BEGGING
IN THE STREETS, NAKED.

AND HOMAGE TO THAT LAMA
WHO WAS CALLED CHANDALI.

Narrator: THE 84 MAHASIDDHAS
WERE GREAT TEACHERS,

BUT THEY WERE ALSO REAL PEOPLE
WHO LIVED VIRTUOUS LIVES.

THEY CAME FROM ALL PARTS
OF THE SOCIAL STRATUM--

BLACKSMITHS, MUSICIANS,
HOUSEWIVES, AND STREET SWEEPERS,

ALL PASSING ON THE DHARMA,
THE WORD OF THE BUDDHA,

TO THOSE WHO WOULD LISTEN.

[CHANTING]

Charles: THE RUINS AROUND HERE
ARE QUITE EXTENSIVE,

SO THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A RATHER
SIZEABLE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY

LIVING HERE IN
AN EXTREMELY REMOTE PLACE,

ABSOLUTELY IN THE MIDDLE
OF NOWHERE,

PERHAPS RECEIVING
VISITORS AND PILGRIMS

WHO WOULD THEN PROVIDE THEM
WITH PATRONAGE

FOR THEIR SURVIVAL
IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.

[KHEMPO CHANTING]

Narrator: THE MAHASIDDHAS'
TEACHINGS STILL RESONATE TODAY.

PILGRIMS WANT TO COME
IN CONTACT WITH THEM,

INADVERTENTLY DAMAGING
THE DELICATE MURALS.

Charles: THERE IS A SORT
OF PIOUS VANDALISM GOING ON,

WHERE PEOPLE WILL COME THROUGH

AND TAKE LITTLE SAMPLES
OF THE PLASTER, FOR INSTANCE,

TO PUT IN THEIR AMULET BOXES.

SO IT'S NOT BECAUSE
THEY WANT TO DESTROY IT,

BUT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO TAKE

SOME OF THE BLESSINGS
OF THE PLACE WITH THEM.

AND THEY WILL ALSO RUB
THEIR HANDS ON THEM,

RUB THEIR HEADS ON THEM
AND SO FORTH

IN ORDER TO GET THESE BLESSINGS.

Narrator: THIS DISCOVERY,
DATED TO THE 14th CENTURY,

COMBINED WITH SOME OF THE OTHER
CAVE SHRINES THE TEAM HAS FOUND,

SHOWS THAT THE GREATEST ARTISTS
OF THE HIMALAYA,

IN A GOLDEN AGE OF TIBETAN ART,
WERE DRAWN TO MUSTANG.

WHAT WAS IT THAT BROUGHT THEM
SO FAR, SO HIGH,

TO PAINT ON THE CRUMBLING,
IMPERMANENT WALLS

OF HAND-HEWN CAVES?

PERHAPS IT'S NOT JUST
THE TEACHINGS OF THE MURALS

THAT ATTRACTS THE DEVOUT.

MAYBE THE EFFORT IN REACHING
THIS HIGH CAVE TEMPLE,

THE SUFFERING INVOLVED
IN GETTING HERE,

IS THE TEACHING.

THE RESEARCHERS HAVE CLEANED
SOME OF THE MURALS

SO THE WORLD CAN SEE
THESE GREAT TEACHERS

AS THEY WERE MEANT TO
SOME 700 YEARS AGO.

WHAT IS EMERGING
IS A PICTURE OF MUSTANG

AS AN OASIS OF ART
AND SPIRITUALITY

NESTLED AMIDST A VAST LANDSCAPE
OF LITTLE ELSE.

Charles: THE PERCENTAGE OF CAVES
THAT WE'VE BEEN INTO

IS ABSOLUTELY MINISCULE,

AND THE DISCOVERIES
THAT WE'VE MADE

IN MANY WAYS CHANGES THE HISTORY
OF THIS PART OF THE WORLD.

THERE ARE PERHAPS
UPWARD OF 10,000 CAVES.

HOW MANY HAVE WE BEEN INTO,
HALF A DOZEN PERHAPS?

WE NEED TO GO INTO
AS MANY OF THEM AS POSSIBLE,

MAKE SOME KIND
OF BASIC INVENTORY,

AND IT'S GOING TO BE
THE CLIMBERS

AND THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS
AND THE ART HISTORIANS

WHO CAN START TO PIECE TOGETHER

THE ANCIENT AND MORE RECENT
HISTORY OF THIS AREA.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT THE PEOPLE OF THIS AREA

ARE VERY, VERY KEEN TO KNOW.

Narrator: THEY'VE JUST SCRATCHED
THE SURFACE

OF MUSTANG'S COUNTLESS CAVES,

EACH ONE MERITING
FURTHER EXPLORATION

INTO A WORLD
WHERE PEOPLE HAVE LIVED

AN ENLIGHTENED WAY OF LIFE
FOR MILLENNIA.

Pete: AT THE TIME
OF GURU RINPOCHE,

IN MANY WAYS IT WAS
A TYPE OF SHANGRI-LA

BECAUSE THE KINGS OF TIBET

WERE TRYING TO CIVILIZE
A HIGHLY WARLIKE PEOPLE.

AND THE ENTRANCE
OF GURU RINPOCHE

WAS TO BRING THE TEACHINGS
OF THE BUDDHA

AND TO TRY TO CIVILIZE PEOPLE

AND CREATE A LIFE
THAT'S FAR BETTER.

PERHAPS THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED
IN MUSTANG AT THAT TIME

WOULD HAVE SEEN
THAT CIVILIZING FACTOR

AS CREATING A PARADISE

BECAUSE ONE WOULD NOT
HAVE TO WAKE UP

AND SHARPEN ONE'S SWORDS,

ONE COULD BEAT ONE'S SWORDS
INTO PLOUGHSHARES

AND BE LIVING
AN AGRICULTURAL LIFE

AND HAVE A LANDSCAPE
THAT COULD SUSTAIN THAT LIFE.

ONE THAT WOULD BE
BUDDHIST IN NATURE

AND WOULD BE COMPASSIONATE
FOR ALL SENTIENT BEINGS.

Narrator: PERHAPS GURU RINPOCHE
PLANTED A SEED HERE IN MUSTANG

AND IT DID BLOOM

INTO A RELIGIOUS, ARTISTIC
AND REJUVENATING BEYUL,

PROVIDING SACRED REFUGE

SOME OF US MIGHT DESCRIBE
AS PARADISE.

[WOMEN SINGING]